Having more self-confidence is an amazing reward that comes with losing weight, and it positively affects every part of your life. In this series, we have already mentioned how your confidence can improve with concern to a few specific areas in life, such as dating, and social confidence…
But gaining self-confidence in general goes far beyond that.
Feeling great about how you look, how you carry yourself, and who you are, can positively affect your experience in every situation that you find yourself in.
This is especially true when have had low self-esteem for a long time, where gaining confidence will be a complete transformation for you, rather than simply a “confidence boost”.
This is part 6 in the discovering your why series, and if you haven’t yet learned about what finding your why for weight loss is and how incredibly motivating it can be, check out the first part of this series, Discovering Your “Why” Part 1- The Strongest Motivation for Weight Loss.
But this part is about the confidence that you can look forward to after losing a significant amount of weight, and the motivation that the thought of it can provide during your journey.
If you’ve never really been that confident about yourself, it can be hard to imagine what it would be like to feel amazing about yourself.
When I used to hear people talk about being confident, I thought of confidence as a was as a way of presenting yourself, not as an actual possible feeling that could naturally occur.
Self-confidence isn’t something that can be forced or simply emulated, it’s something that naturally projects when you FEEL it.
Confidence to pursue your dreams
Although looking better is one of the strongest pieces of self-confidence, appearance is not the only thing that causes you to feel confident about yourself after losing weight.
Going through a significant body transformation can give you the confidence to pursue other dreams of yours as well.
When you realize how much discipline and willpower you can muster when you really want to achieve something great, you will have more drive to apply that same level of dedication to another goal that you want to achieve in life.
You soon come to realize that with consistency, incredible things can happen in a matter of months or a year, and that the best times of your life can still be ahead of you.
Getting in great shape can have a cascading effect, where you feel naturally compelled to begin improving other aspects of yourself, and the life that you live.
Job interviews are no sweat, literally
I get hot really easily, and avoid wearing long sleeves in the summer at all costs.
But when I was 245 pounds putting on a button-up long-sleeve shirt was pretty much a guarantee that I was going to sweat in any season.
From job interviews, to orientations and conferences with lots of people, everybody always seemed to be at a comfortable temperature when I felt like I was the only one sweating.
Sweating itself can put a huge damper on your confidence, especially when you are in important situations that warrant long sleeve shirts such as job interviews and dates.
Although I still get hotter faster than most other people, now that I have lost my excess fat it’s not to an extent that makes situations hard to handle.
I was very surprised and relieved at how much cooler my own temperature felt and how much warmer of an environment I could handle after losing a significant amount of weight.
I used to keep my thermostat at around 62 degrees, and now I keep it at about 68 degrees.
I can now stand wearing a long-sleeve shirt on a summer day, and make it from the parking lot to inside the building without triggering a never-ending cycle of sweat.
There are actually several ways that getting in shape will help you both have and project more confidence at job interviews.
Again, self-confidence gives you a boost in every little thing that you do.
From not sweating, to feeling good in your clothes, to being more socially confident, to carrying around the pride of accomplishing your transformation… everything helps you to effectively express yourself and “keep cool” in a job interview.
Pool parties can be fun!
I was always one of the kids who dreaded getting invited to a pool party.
Although I loved to swim, taking off my shirt in front of other people was more than enough to discourage me from partaking in the fun, especially if there were people there who I knew.
Not that normal adult life frequently provides the opportunity to attend pool parties another shirtless gatherings… but when it does happen it’s really nice to be able to enjoy yourself and not worry about all of your extra weight.
When you find yourself with a group of people at the beach, the public pool, pool parties, and hotels…. and everyone wants to visit the pool, you can join in with confidence!
Feeling confident around the opposite sex
We already went into detail on this subject in part 4 of this series (love and attraction), but it fits perfectly to mention it here as well… the notion that you will feel more confident around the opposite sex after losing weight.
When you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s not just a question of whether or not you think you are attractive… it’s that you never feel right in your clothes and are constantly worried about your excess weight when you are in the presence of someone you are attracted to.
Like any other form of confidence… it’s hard to imagine having it when you’ve never had it before, but as you get in better and better shape, the outward reflecting confidence that everyone always says is so important, begins to build.
As you approach your ideal weight, the lack of confidence around the opposite sex goes away… and as you push forward and get an even better shape you will develop a positive self-image and actually have a “surplus” of confidence, meaning that you don’t just feel “not bad” about yourself, but you actually feel great about yourself.
From landing a date to having fun while you’re on that date, losing weight and getting in great shape can only do good things for your dating experience.
Feeling good about yourself, inside and out
There is an profoundly powerful feeling of overall self-confidence that comes from losing weight, which is almost indescribable.
Your healthy exterior reflects your internal health… and you feel amazing about who you have become and what you have accomplished.
Life itself seems to be brighter and more inviting, and filled with opportunities.
You pass the mirror and you feel an overwhelming sense of pride remembering how far you have come, and how much life has changed as a result of your hard work.
You feel good in your clothes, your own skin, and you feel more free to pursue an active and happy life.
Thinking of how life could be in the future after losing weight… how it would feel to be much more confident in a variety of situations and simply being a more confident person in general, is a great way to motivate yourself to consistently eat healthy and exercise.
Finding your true source of weight loss motivation, and focusing on your ultimate vision of the future you, can give you the ongoing willpower and inspiration that you need to stick with your habits long enough to successfully transform your body and your habits for the long term.
This concludes the entire finding your why series. I hope that it helped you discover your deepest source of motivation, so that you can confidently and consistently work towards your weight loss goal, and make every healthy decision you make, meaningful.
If you missed any of the parts in this series I have linked thew below for you!
Ready to start your own weight loss journey? Try the 8-Week Weight Loss Challenge! It’s a step by step course that will help you start eating healthy and lose weight at your own pace, and allows you to customize your own healthy diet.
This is part 6 of the discovering your why series. Here are the rest of the articles in the series:
Part 1- The Strongest Motivation for Weight Loss
Part 4- For attraction and love
Part 5- For improved physical ability
Part 6- For self-confidence
